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Some of Mountain View’s most accomplished young bluegrass and old-time musicians will take the stage at the Ozark Folk Center on April 18 for the Next Generation Concert, an annual fundraiser supporting the Music Roots program.
The concert runs from 7 to 10 p.m. at the park’s indoor Ozark Highlands Theater. Doors and the box office open at 6 p.m. The event falls during the Arkansas Folk Festival weekend in Mountain View.
The lineup includes Sylamore Special, winners of the 2024 SPGMA Awards International Bluegrass Band Champions title; Ozark Strangers, featuring state fiddle champion Truett Brannon; 5 South, led by state fiddle and banjo champion Kailee Spickes; pianist Edward Steiger; and The Parker Unit, featuring 15-time state fiddle champion Mary Parker and two-time National Mandolin Champion runner-up Gordan Parker. The Music Roots Ensemble and guest performers Dave Smith and Kathy Jensen round out the bill.
Music Roots, now in its 28th year, provides free music lessons, instructors and loaned instruments to homeschool and public school students in fourth grade and up in the Mountain View area. The program is a collaboration between Mountain View Public Schools and the Ozark Folk Center State Park and has served thousands of families.
The concert is sponsored by the Committee of One Hundred, a group of women from across the state who raise funds for programs at the folk center including craft apprenticeships, the Heritage Herb Garden and Music Roots.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for children and $35 for a family pass admitting two adults and children under 18. Advance tickets are available at Tickets.OzarkFolkCenter.com. Day-of tickets are available at the theater for $2 more. Ozark Folk Center season passes are honored.
Earlier in the day, the folk center will host its annual open house in the Craft Village from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission for live music, craft demonstrations and artisan shops. Shuttles will run from the folk center to downtown Mountain View from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
More information is available at OzarkFolkCenter.com or by calling 870-269-3851.
